GOODRICKE, Sir Henry, 2nd Bt. (1642-1705), of Ribston, Yorks.

Published in The History of Parliament: the House of Commons 1660-1690, ed. B.D. Henning, 1983
Available from Boydell and Brewer

Constituency

Dates

7 Nov. 1673
Mar. 1679
Feb. 1701
Dec. 1701
1702 - 5 Mar. 1705

Family and Education

b. 24 Oct. 1642, 1st s. of Sir John Goodricke, 1st Bt., by 1st w. educ. travelled abroad (France) 1657-8. m. 1668, Mary, da. of William Legge I of The Minories, London, s.p. suc. fa as 2nd Bt. Nov. 1670.

Offices Held

Commr. for assessment, Yorks. (W. Riding) 1664-80, York 1673-9, W. Riding and York 1689-90; dep. lt. Yorks. 1664-Aug. 1688, Nov. 1688-?d.; j.p. (W. Riding) 1667-Sept. 1688, Nov. 1688-d.; freeman, Portsmouth 1675; commr. for recusants, Yorks. 1675, lt.-col. of militia ft. (W. Riding) 1677, col. Nov. 1688-?d.; gov. York Nov.-Dec. 1688.1

Col. of ft. 1678-9.

Envoy extraordinary to Spain 1678-82; lt. of the Ordnance 1689-1702; commr. for preventing the export of wool 1689-92; PC 13 Feb. 1690-d.

Biography

‘A gentleman of fine parts naturally, and those improved by great reading and travel’, Goodricke was successful for Boroughbridge, ten miles from his home, at a by-election in 1673, as an opponent both of the Duke of Buckingham and of the Court. A moderately active Member of the Cavalier Parliament, he was appointed to 52 committees, acted as a teller on three occasions and made some 16 recorded speeches. In the debate of 17 Jan. 1674 on the impeachment of Lord Arlington, he proposed that the last article should be presented to the King in order that he might decide what course to adopt, and he was co-opted to the committee to consider the articles of impeachment as a whole. He was appointed soon afterwards to the committee to consider the condition of Ireland. A rigid opponent of Catholicism who told the House that ‘promotion and promoters of Popery ought to be punished by your opinion’, he was named to the committee of 16 Apr. 1675 on the bill to exclude Roman Catholics from Parliament, and to three other committees directed against Popery. In the autumn session he joined in the outcry over the ‘government whip’, demanding a list of the recipients and inquiring on what authority the letters had been sent. In the following month he supported the motion, prompted by the appointment of (Sir) Edmund Jennings as sheriff of Yorkshire, for an address against the pricking of MPs as sheriffs. He served on the committees for the bills to recall British subjects from French service and to extend habeas corpus. After the assault on Luzancy he helped to prepare the address protesting at the failure to apprehend the Jesuit St. Germain. In anticipation of a general election, after the prorogation, he canvassed for Lord Clifford (Charles Boyle) as country candidate for Yorkshire.2

In February 1677, immediately before the new session, Goodricke, with his friend and colleague Sir John Reresby, was converted to the support of Danby and the Court, and was accordingly classed ‘thrice vile’ by Shaftesbury. He regretted that the business of Dr Cary’s treatment by the Lords had been put before the Commons at a time when the King had desired that there be no discord between the Houses. In the debate of 13 Mar. he opposed the Lords’ suggestion that the address to the King in favour of alliance against France should mention Sicily, as well as Flanders, as worthy of England’s protection, and on 11 Apr. he expressed his satisfaction with the King’s recent message in favour of an adjournment. He was teller against an explanatory bill on Irish cattle. In the earlier sessions of 1678 he helped to prepare a summary of foreign commitments and the address for the removal of counsellors, acting as teller for the address against Lauderdale. After the Popish Plot he led the opposition to Danby’s impeachment, speaking twice on the lord treasurer’s behalf, and on 21 Dec. during the debate on the articles of impeachment he acted as a teller for the adjournment.3

In the first general election of 1679 Goodricke supported the candidature of Danby’s son, Edward Osborne, for the county, and was himself returned for Boroughbridge. As an opponent of exclusion, he was marked ‘vile’ by Shaftesbury. A moderately active Member of the first Exclusion Parliament, he was appointed to four committees including the committee of elections and privileges. On 30 Apr. he spoke in favour of an address of thanks for the King’s speech, and he voted against exclusion. He was defeated in August by Sir John Brookes, a militant opponent of the Court. Soon afterwards he was sent as envoy to Spain, where he served until diplomatic relations were severed in 1682.4

On the accession of James II, Goodricke and Sir Roger Strickland presented a loyal address from Aldborough. He regained his seat in the general election of 1685, and was listed among the Opposition. A very active Member, he twice acted as teller and helped to carry the address expressing satisfaction at the capture of Argyle. His 36 committees included that to draft the address promising support against Monmouth. He took the chair for a naturalization bill. After the recess he was teller against seeking the concurrence of the Lords to the address against the employment of Roman Catholic officers. In August 1688 he gave negative replies to the questions on the Penal Laws and Tests. In the months that followed he concerned himself deeply in the plans for a northern uprising in favour of the Prince of Orange, and his seat at Ribston Hall became the headquarters for the movement. It was he who summoned and addressed that meeting of the Yorkshire gentry at York on 22 Nov. which served as the occasion for the seizure of York by the insurgents. At the general election of 1689 he did his utmost to secure the return of Danby’s son for Knaresborough.5

As the leader of Danby’s Tory group Goodricke played an extremely active part in the Convention, serving on 77 committees, in four of which he took the chair, and making 29 recorded speeches. He did not vote with the rest of his party on the vacancy of the throne, but on 5 Feb. 1689 he was named one of the managers of the conference with the Lords. He served on the committee of 25 Feb. to consider alterations to the coronation oath and in the debates that followed was at pains to ensure that the clause requiring that the King defend the Protestant religion should be so phrased as not to preclude any later measures of comprehension. Danby described him to the King as ‘capable of discharging any employment in the kingdom’, and he was given a senior post in the Ordnance. On 22 Mar. he was co-opted to the committee to prepare the bill for settling the crown. Goodricke was chairman of the committee which drew up the address in favour of war with France, and spoke in defence of the publisher who had infringed parliamentary privilege by printing it. In the debate of 22 Apr. he spoke four times in opposition to the Lords’ suggestion to exempt the clergy from the oaths of supremacy and allegiance. He took the chair in the committee for disarming Papists and carried up the bill. Though he opposed the toleration of Quakers, he was named to the committee for the bill. He was teller for agreeing with the Lords that the crown should retain the power to nominate custodes rotulorum. He advocated a general pardon for Protestants, and was one of the Members appointed on 22 June to prepare a bill of indemnity. In the days which followed he was the chief apologist for Danby, now Marquess of Carmarthen, over the arrest of his son, Peregrine Osborne, and presented two reports from the committee to prevent the export of wool. He carried this bill also to the Lords. After the recess he was named to the committees of inquiry into the miscarriages of the war and the state of the revenue. He presented a statement on the condition of the Ordnance and a petition from suppliers. He sought in vain to adjourn the debate on Commissary Shales, and acted as teller for going into committee on supply. His hostility to the Quakers was undiminished, and he opposed their exemption from the double taxation imposed on non-jurors. On 10 Jan. 1690, during the debate on the bill to restore corporations, he led the Tory attack on the disabling clause, which was so widely drawn as to exclude all those who normally served, and acted as teller for bringing incandles to prolong the debate. He carried up a naturalization bill and opposed reparations to Thomas Pilkington.6

Goodricke retained office throughout the reign of William III and became a Privy Councillor. As a placeman he voted with the Court, and signed the Association in 1696. He died on 5 Mar. 1705 and was buried at Ribston. The next member of the family to enter Parliament was the fifth baronet, who was returned for Pontefract as a government supporter in 1774.

Ref Volumes: 1660-1690

Authors: P. A. Bolton / Paula Watson

Notes

  • 1. Add. 28082, f. 81; 29674, f. 160; R. East, Portsmouth Recs. 361; R. Morrice, Entering Bk. 2, p. 631; SP31/4/124; Yale Lib. Osborn mss; Browning, Danby, i. 404; Yorks. Arch. Jnl. xxix. 266; Reresby Mems. 128, 527, 584; Eg. 1626, f. 56.
  • 2. Reresby Mems. 89; Browning, Danby, i. 118; Grey, ii. 291, 361; iii. 370, 420; iv. 26; Parl. Rep. Yorks. (Yorks. Arch. Soc. rec. ser. xcvi), 171-2.
  • 3. Browning, Danby, i. 207; Grey, iv. 170, 171, 172, 242, 348; vi. 350, 384; CJ, ix. 406, 478, 562.
  • 4. Grey, vii. 161; Parl. Rep. Yorks. 172-3.
  • 5. London Gazette, 12 Mar. 1685; CJ, ix. 745, 758; Eg. 3336, f. 140; Reresby Mems. 515, 526-8, 585-6; Add. 28875, f. 426.
  • 6. Grey, ix. 197, 198, 218-19, 232, 258-9, 321-3, 358, 359, 360, 371-2, 373-4, 514; Eg 3336, f. 151; CJ, x. 99, 101, 102, 153, 198, 205, 258, 278, 288, 295, 299, 303, 329, 338, 339.